Artist Biographies

Julie Kipa

Iwi (tribal) affiliation: Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāi Tuwhiwhia.

I think [facial moko is] really important because it’s so personal - so visible. It’s an important expression that Māori won’t let their identity be sub-served.

It’s the language too. It’s a language of Māori recognition. In some ways it’s more powerful than what is commonly understood as language because it can’t be taken away from you.

On tā moko: It was just naturally an extension of my art and convictions about Maori development.

Julie Kipa is a painter, tā moko artist, multimedia installation artist, designer, and writer. She has four Massey University qualifications, including a Masters in Māori Visual Arts, and works as a lecturer, commentator, curator, and consultant on Māori arts.

Her work has been shown in both solo and group exhibitions, and she is co-director of artmaori ltd, which also has a tā moko studio, in New Plymouth.